RESEARCHING SITUATED LEARNING AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRACTICE FOR COLLEGE ACCESS PRACTITIONERS: A CASE STUDY OF THE COLLEGE ASSISTANCE MIGRANT PROGRAM

Abstract

College access programs and the college access practitioners who work in these programs have the power and agency to provide key forms of student support to non-dominant groups of college students on college campuses. Yet, no standards or competencies exist for college access practitioners. Therefore, this study describes how college access practitioners build their own professional knowledge and understanding of their roles. This qualitative multisite case study examined how the backgrounds experiences of College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) practitioners inform the student support provided to migrant students. Using theories of situated learning, this study also evaluated the processes of social learning that occurs within the daily occurrences of the job. Participants included six CAMP practitioners from two different college campuses. This study addressed two questions: how do the background experiences of CAMP practitioners inform their orientation of practice and what is the learning process for CAMP practitioners participating in this study? The cross-case analyses found that the personal, educational and professional backgrounds of practitioners influenced how they defined their CAMP roles and the development of their professional identities and culturally responsive practices for students. CAMP practitioners engaged in key communities of practice that significantly informed their professional knowledge and understanding. Findings provide insights to describe the technical and adaptive learning process of college access practitioners and suggest future approaches to professional development.